Robert Henry Forster (archaeologist)

Forster, Robert Henry (1867-1923)

Robert Henry Forster MA LL.B. (Cantab) FSA (1867–6th June 1923) was a barrister, antiquarian, archaeologist, poet and novelist.

Early life

R H Forster was born in Backworth, Northumberland, the fourth son of George Baker Forster, a mining engineer. He was educated at Harrow school and then won a scholarship to St. John’s college Cambridge in 1885. He was awarded the Leaf scholarship and a Foundation scholarship in 1887. In 1888 he was in the first class of the classical Tripos and the following year was Senior in the Law Tripos. He was called to the bar in 1892 but did not practise law, instead publishing poetry and novels.

Poet and novelist

Forster began his literary career by publishing articles in The Eagle, the St John’s college magazine. His first novel “The Hand of the Spoiler” was published in 1898, followed by “The Amateur Antiquary” a collection of essays on antiquarian subjects. He wrote a number of historical novels and poetry as well as many papers on archaeological subjects.

Rowing

Forster was a keen rower and rowed for the Lady Margaret Boat Club (St John’s College) at Cambridge. In 1892 became joint secretary of the Thames Rowing Club with L H K Bushe-Fox, a friend from Cambridge who was a fellow of St John’s college and also a barrister. Forster was the captain of the Thames Rowing Club from 1896 to 1907.

Archaeological work

In 1907 Forster began supervising the excavation work at Corbridge, Northumberland, the Roman site of Corstopitum, with W H Knowles. He supervised the excavations for the next eight seasons until 1914 when the outbreak of the First World War ended the excavation work. This can be considered one of the first training excavations in Britain. One of the people employed here was J P Bushe-Fox, the younger brother of L H K Bushe Fox, Forster's old Cambridge friend.

Forster also wrote up, with others, the results of each season’s work at Corbridge in Archaeologia Aeliana, the journal of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne.

R H Forster was the Treasurer of the British Archaeological Association in 1905, and one of its vice presidents in 1911.

Personal life

He married Margret Hope in 1913. He retired to Combeinteignhead in Devon where he died in 1923.

Bibliography

• Forster, Robert Henry (1898). The hand of the spoiler: being the adventures of Master Wilfrid Clavering ... Newcastle-on-Tyne.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, Robert Henry (1899). The amateur antiquary: his notes, sketches, and fancies concerning the Roman wall in the counties of Northumberland and Cumberland. Newcastle-on-Tyne ; London: s.n.
• Forster, Robert Henry (1905). In old Northumbria. [Verse.] London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, R H; Craster, E Edmund (1908). "Corstopitum: Report of the Excavations in 1907". Archaeologica Aeliana. 4: 205.
• Forster, Robert Henry (1901). Down by the river. A rowing man's miscellany. Camb.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, Robert Henry (1902). A Tynedale comedy. Newcastle-upon-Tyne.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, Robert Henry (1903). The last foray. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, Robert Henry (1903). Idylls of the north. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, Robert Henry (1904). In steel and leather. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, Robert Henry (1905). Strained allegiance. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, Robert Henry (1906). The arrow of the north. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, Robert Henry (1907). The mistress of Aydon ... London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, Robert Henry (1908). A Jacobite admiral. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, Robert Henry (1909). Harry of Athol. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, R H; Knowles, W H (1910). "Corstopitum: report of the excavations of 1909". Archaeologia Aeliana. 3. 6: 205–272.
• Forster, Robert Henry (1911). Midsummer morn. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, R. H. (1910). "The Corbridge Excavations, 1910". Journal of the British Archaeological Association. 16 (1): 1–14. doi:10.1080/00681288.1910.11893887. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
• Forster, R H; Knowles, W H (1910). "Corstopitum: report of the excavations of 1909". Archaeologia Aeliana. 3. 6: 205–272.
• Forster, R H; Knowles, W H; Haverfield, F J; Craster, H H E; Bushe-Fox, J P (1912). "Corstopitum: report of the excavations of 1911". Archaeologia Aeliana. 3. 8: 137–263.
• Forster, Robert Henry (1913). The little maister. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, R. H. (1913). "The Corbridge Excavations, 1912". Journal of the British Archaeological Association. 19 (2): 84–87. doi:10.1080/00681288.1913.11893654. ISSN 0068-1288. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
• Forster, Robert Henry (1920). The double realm. [Verse.] London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, Robert Henry (1922). Two romances in verse. [Argalis and Alauna: Cunetzo and Loxa.] London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, Robert Henry (1923). A Devonshire garden: sonnets written there in 1922. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Forster, R. H. (1926). The History of the Lady Margaret Boat Club ... 1825-1926 ... 1825-1890 by R. H. Foster [sic] ... & W. Harris ... 1890-1907 by A. D. Stammers ... 1907-1925 by G. L. Day, etc. (Second edition - vol. 2 1926-1956, by J. F. Hall-Craggs.) [With plates.] Cambridge: Johnian Society.
• Forster, R. H. (1914). War poems of a Northumbrian. Newcastle-on-Tyne: Edward J. Noble.